Because of You
by maramouse
Summary: The night after Naveen's and Tiana's first wedding, Tiana realizes how much Naveen has changed her life.


Author's Note: First of all, I'd like to warn the reader that although this story came from my own wonderings of when Tiana's and Naveen's official "wedding night" took place, this is not graphic. It is rated "T" ONLY because of subject matter, and were it not for that, it would definitely be a K or a K+. I know that the fact that Tiana and Naveen don't get a little more intimate is disappointing, but maybe someone else can write that story for me. So, if you're reading this story with the expectation of "Ooh, wedding night!", I'm afraid you'll be very, very disappointed. And I'm personally still am undecided of when Tiana's and Naveen's wedding night did take place; this is simply what I ended up writing. If anyone else wants to put in their perspective, I'd enjoy that. :)

In addition, Naveen makes a comment about not sleeping with anyone before, which, as much as I do believe, is also partially based on my belief of this being a Disney movie and my longing for a Disney life where players were not the players they are now, and everyone's first love was the person they stayed with for the rest of their lives. Is anyone else with me here?

Also, with returning to school and my busy theatre schedule and my normal writings, this will probably be the last fanfic you'll have from me for a while, so enjoy it! If anyone has any (short!) plot bunnies they'd like me to write (preferably PATF), let me know, and I'll try to make time to write them. If I don't...well, you'll understand, won't you?

*******

Tiana laid in her bed, unable to fall asleep. She wiggled her toes, feeling grateful for her human feet instead of the froggy flippers she had had to endure for so many days. Her bed's firm mattress was a welcome change from sleeping on the ground. Tiana suppressed a grin, remembering sleeping inside the tree trunk with Naveen, back when she had still considered him a spoiled prince, whom she could not wait to get away from. There was no doubt about it; she had definitely changed her opinion of him, even though her husband still had much to learn about a strong work ethic.

As exhausted as Tiana felt from the events of the day, she was full of too many thoughts to close her eyes. After she and Naveen had been transformed back into their human selves, Mama Odie had helped them get back to New Orleans, where they had gone straight to visit Tiana's mother. She had had trouble following everything they told her, but seemed to accept Tiana's lie that she had stayed a few nights with Lotte to get away, and was more than happy to help them plan their wedding.

_I'm a married woman now, _Tiana thought to herself, and at that thought, she could not keep from smiling. True Lotte was the only human besides Mama Odie who would believe that she and Naveen were really married, but Tiana did not mind keeping their first wedding a secret. She just wished she did not have to wait until their second wedding for the two to begin their lives together.

Tiana attempted to close her eyes again. The sooner she fell asleep, the sooner it would be until morning, and the next morning was just one day closer to the day Tiana's new life would begin.

She was just falling asleep, when Tiana was interrupted by a knock on her window. Tiana rubbed her eyes and looked up, but with her curtains closed, she could not see what noise had interrupted her. Deciding she had been imagining it, Tiana attempted to close her eyes again. But no sooner had she closed her eyes then a familiar accented voice hissed, "Tiana! Let me in!"

Tiana's heart quickened. She got out of bed and opened her curtains to reveal Naveen staring out into her window, from his perch on a ladder. His voice came out muffled from behind the glass. "Are you not going to let me in?"

Shaking her head, Tiana opened the window, letting in the cool evening air. Naveen climbed inside, looking very pleased with himself. His face fell at the expression on Tiana's face. "You are not pleased to see me?"

"I just didn't expect to find you standin' at the window at twelve in the morning, that's all. One minute later, and I would have been asleep."

"Ah, but you would not have been. A wife does not sleep without her husband, no?"

"Very funny, Mister Romeo," said Tiana, "but we've already gone over this. Until we have an official wedding, we're gonna forget that we were ever married as frogs."

"But as far as the world knows, you are sleeping alone. It is a tradition to consummate the marriage, after all. Would you not rather spend tonight with your husband?"

"Well, yes-but there's Mama to worry about, too!" said Tiana, stopping Naveen from reaching out to kiss her. "I live with her too, after all. Imagine what it would like if she finds us tomorrow morning."

"Do you have any faith, my princess? After you have fallen asleep, I will kiss your forehead, and then I will be out the way I came. You might not have known this, but your husband is very good at covering up his tracks."

Tiana snorted. "You've had a lot of experience, haven't you?"

"Do not look at me like that. You should know very well that in spite of all my conquests, you are the only one I will experience this with. Now, what do you say, Tiana? Are you ready to take a risk?"

Tiana hesitated, as Naveen looked up at her with big puppy dog eyes. She knew it had taken Naveen a lot of resistance not to go all the way with even one of his girls, and she was touched that he had snuck in to visit her, but she had herself to consider, too. She wanted this as much as Naveen did, but were the circumstances really ideal? What would it be like to fall asleep in Naveen's arms, but to wake up by herself the next morning? Besides, it was time she played human. If she really was going to get married again as a human, she wanted to experience her wedding as a human, too. Her wedding night was part of that.

"I'm sorry, Naveen," said Tiana, touching his arm, "but I don't think we should. When this does happen, I want to have you all to myself the entire night and next morning, not for you to go sneakin' back out the moment I fall asleep."

Naveen looked like he wanted to protest, but he shook his head. "You are right, my princess," he said sadly. "I should have not suggested it. This happens to concern you as well, and it was selfish to only think of myself."

Tiana bit her lip. She had not wanted to make her husband feel bad. "Well, just because we don't consummate things tonight doesn't mean you can't rock me to bed," she said coyly. "I was havin' trouble fallin' asleep, after all."

Naveen grinned. "I can do that."

They climbed into bed and found themselves squeezed together. After spending her whole life in a single bed, it was odd to be sharing it with someone now.

Tiana laid her head on Naveen's shoulder. She had never imagined needing someone besides herself before, but now that she had someone, she felt no less independent than she had been before. Instead, having someone to share her life with felt deliciously perfect.

"Naveen?" Tiana murmured.

"Hmm?"

"Do you miss it-your old life, I mean?"

Naveen frowned, as he turned towards her. "I do miss my family and my country. But my family will be coming to our wedding, and someday I can take you to Maldonia myself. Perhaps your mother and Louis can take care of the restaurant during that time, no?"

"I don't mean your life in Maldonia, exactly. I just mean-you don't feel tied down now that we're together, do you"

"Of course I do not, Tiana! I can see now that my old life was...empty. Working is definitely a challenge, but I was able to bring the best of my old life with me. After all, it is not as if I have given up women completely. Instead, I have you." He scrutinized her face. "Do you miss your old life?"

Tiana considered this. She had enjoyed working, as tiresome as it could be, but Naveen was right. After a while, the work had become routine. Her restaurant was the only thing she had set her goals on, and she needed more in her life than just work. Even her father, who had taken two or three shifts every day, had had a family to come home to. "No," Tiana said quietly, "I think you're right. My old life was empty, too."

Naveen pulled her into a kiss.

As she snuggled up to him after the kiss had ended, Tiana thought of Mama Odie's words. For the first time, she thought she understood what Mama Odie had meant when she'd instructed them to "dig a little deeper". Even though she had never realized that she was missing anything from her life before, now that she had Naveen, she could not imagine life without him. Tiana did not feel empty anymore. Instead, she felt completely whole.

"Goodnight, my princess," said Naveen, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Night, Prince Charming."

As he squeezed her hand, their finger wove together in a perfect fit.


End file.
